Brian Daboll could have given a non-answer on DeAndre Hopkins.
He didn’t.
The Giants head coach admitted that GM Joe Schoen and the front office will do their “due diligence” on the new free agent wide receiver, as they did last season with Odell Beckham Jr.
“Like last year, anytime there’s someone that’s available that’s a free agent, I’d say Joe and his staff are gonna look into it, research it,” Daboll said before his team’s fifth OTA practice on Wednesday. “We talk about a lot of different players. So regardless of who it is, that’s part of our job is to make sure we’re doing our due diligence.”
Hopkins, 30, only played in 19 games the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. But he did have 1,407 receiving yards and six TDs as recently as 2020.
And he would unquestionably upgrade the Giants’ receiving corps that has added tight end Darren Waller (trade from Raiders) and Parris Campbell (free agent, Colts) already this spring.
Daboll at first was told there was a “big” receiver available, and he responded: “How tall is he?”
Hopkins is only 6-1, but he plays bigger. He had a 71.9% catch percentage in 2020 and is one of the NFL’s most lethal red zone targets when healthy.
League sources already told the Daily News last week that the Giants were viewed as one of a handful of teams that might land Hopkins after being released by Arizona.
The Bills, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs and Raiders are also viewed as options for the three-time All-Pro wide receiver.
The Giants only have $4.1 million in salary cap space available, so they won’t be able to outbid anyone. But this is the kind of player they could stretch salary cap damage into 2024 to acquire.
Daniel Jones got paid. The Giants are loading up, and Hopkins as another piece definitely wouldn’t hurt.
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Source: Berkshire mont
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